On Monday, the Boxing Federation published its latest position on the participation of Finnish athletes in international competitions, where they may face Russian and Belarusian athletes.
The Finnish Boxing Association published a press release on Monday evening clarifying it again his position in international competitions. (you switch to another service)
According to the Boxing Federation, Finnish boxers can now participate in international competitions, but not against Russian or Belarusian athletes.
– In those (possible encounters between Russians and Belarusians) a forfeit win is always given, Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Boxing Federation Jenni Karjalainen comment to Urheilu by phone.
The boxing association’s position has changed several times. The beginning originally it announced that it was boycotting competitions, (you go to another service) in which Russians and Belarusians participate. On January 10, the union announced, (you will switch to another service)that the top boxers can also compete against Russians and Belarusians in the Olympic qualifiers and value competitions, but in other tournaments, when facing the citizens of these two countries, the Finns give a forfeit victory.
Last Friday, the association said that the Russia boycott is not being lifted, and it is not sending a team to the Women’s World Cup in India in March.
– This came to the public from a bit of a bad angle, and for our own reasons… We admit that both the process and the communication failed, Karjalainen admits.
– Originally, in the decision at the beginning of January, the policy was to lift the absolute ban on participation in international competitions. But because the process and communication failed, the matter went wild in the public eye. It is not that we are actually dismantling the boycott or that we are losing our minds.
The association says that it has actively held discussions with the Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Education and Culture. According to Karjalainen, the Boxing Federation still supports the position of the Finnish Olympic Committee. Finnish boxers do not go to Russia or Belarus, and correspondingly no boxers from there come to Finland for competitions.
Friday’s decision not to send a team to the Women’s World Cup in India has also remained the same.
Boxers are in a difficult situation, because the president of the International Boxing Federation is a Russian Umar Kremlevwho is known for his close relationships to Vladimir Putin. Russian and Belarusian athletes can therefore be seen in international boxing competitions.
Karjalainen says that the union tried to balance in a challenging situation.
– It would be a difficult situation if we, as a boxing association, prohibited our athletes from participating in international competitions, especially when the Olympics are coming up next year. At the same time, we must remain a united front and increase the pressure to end the unreasonable war of aggression. Now we are in line with international reference countries, for example Sweden, says Karjalainen.
Karjalainen believes that the situation is not going to get any easier right away.
– Of course, we hope that the united front supported by Finland and the Nordic countries and the idea that the time is absolutely not right for Russians to participate in sports competitions should work, but unfortunately it seems that we are becoming a minority. But then we stick to our positions as a minority for as long as possible.
According to Karjalainen, the Boxing Association is doing its best so that the sport can be welcomed at the international level as well. There have also been discussions about establishing a new union.
– Background discussions with like-minded countries have taken place. As far as I know, the discussions intensified significantly last year after the war of aggression started. These are, of course, a long way off, but hopefully the discussions will lead at some point to getting an international sports federation for boxing, which even the athletes dare to represent with honor, which you can be proud of and which supports the sport, and not, for example, the political aspirations of different countries.
The participation of Finnish boxers in competitions, which may also include Russian athletes, has aroused wild emotions. Karjalainen says the union has even received death threats.
– I would hope that the opposition to the war would remain in the cause of peace.